Fats Navarro

Early Background The story begins in Key West, Florida where Theodore "Fats" Navarro was born of mixed Cuban-Black-Chinese parentage on September 24, 1923. His musical training began early with piano lessons at age six, but he did not start taking music seriously until he took up the trumpet at age thirteen. He became good during his high school years. He also played tenor saxophone and played briefly with Walter Johnson's band in Miami. Apparently Fats did not …

…TB led to a sharp decline in his health and a decrease of his musical activity over the last seventeen months of his life. He nevertheless went on the road one last time with the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour for about seven weeks in February and March of 1949. Fats had been described as coughing uncontrollably and appearing physically drained during this period. Theodore "Fats" Navarro died on July 7, 1950 in a New York City hospital.